Men's Football Blog

As the BYU football team begins their journey as an independent, the athletic program will encounter a lot of firsts this season. Among these firsts is the 2011 BYU Football Media Day on Tuesday, July 12, 2011.

The Media Day will feature events such as live chats in both English and Spanish with current BYU football players, True Blue Football Previews and a Legends Roundtable featuring Ty Detmer, Steve Young and LaVell Edwards.

Throughout the day, we will be taking you behind the scenes of the different interviews and programs and also keeping you updated on what was said, seen and who is in attendance.

More coverage of the 2011 BYU Football Media Day can be found at byucougars.com.

BYU photographers Mark Philbrick and Jaren Wilkey snapped some photos in the BYU Broadcast Building on Monday. Check out the what they saw and everything that is going on to get ready for Football Media Day.

Parents to three girls, Russ and his wife Liz have been married for 13 years. Russ played football at Ricks College for two years prior to his mission to Canada. Upon his return home he played two additional years at Idaho State.

The ultimate BYU fan, Robert was an offensive lineman for the Cougars from 1948-1952. During a homecoming game against Wyoming, he had both of his front teeth knocked out. This resulted in him singing, “All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth” at a Christmas party that year.

Before honoring the senior class of 2010, BYU associate athletic director for development Chad Lewis, formerly a tight end for the Cougars and an All-Pro under Reid, presented the coach with the Distinguished Alumni Award.

Reid was offensive lineman at BYU before becoming a graduate assistant for a season after graduating in 1981. He helped the Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl XXXI as an assistant coach before being named the Philadelphia Eagles' head coach in 1999. Reid's winning percentage is currently 11th-best in NFL history and has resulted in numerous Coach of the Year awards and an NFC championship in 2004.

"I'm so fired up to be here I can't tell you," Reid said upon receiving the award. Reid then went on to give advice to the audience.

"In our sport there is nothing more important than trust," he said. "Go out there and be an energy-giver."

BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall next took the podium to present former BYU assistant coach Barry Lamb with the Robbie Bosco Award.

Lamb retired prior to the 2010 season as the Cougars’ outside linebackers coach after a 33-year career that included 16 seasons at BYU and stints at six different schools. Overall, he helped BYU earn a 129-66 record during his Cougar career with six conference championships and nine bowl invitations.

"Nobody loves BYU and has been more loyal to me and to LaVell Edwards, while he was here," Mendenhall stated.

Lamb offered his own thoughts on what he learned during his great career.

"It's not the physical toughness that wins," he said. "It's all the other kinds of tough that wins."